Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the (1) number, and (2) value, of loans made under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to companies formed within 14 days before the application for the loans.

Lord Callanan: The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is a delegated scheme and lending decisions were made by the accredited lenders.

Coal: Finance

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they (1) allocated, and (2) spent, in the financial years (a) 2018–19, (b) 2019–20; and (c) 2020–21, on the maintenance of coal tips in England.

Lord Callanan: There are over 6,000 disused colliery tips in Great Britain, 2,460 of these are in Wales. Most of the colliery tips are now vegetated either through planned restoration or natural self-seeding. The Coal Authority currently owns 40 of the disused colliery tip sites in Great Britain (8 in England) and the spend profile for those tips is below:  Year2018/192019/202020/21Allocated overall tips budget385k365k365kActual overall tips spend399k345k297k (covid affected)English tips actual spend13k15k15k Source: The Coal Authority

Utilities: Energy Supply

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of suppliers selling (1) gas, and (2) electricity, to (a) households, and (b) businesses.

Lord Callanan: The Government believes competition is the best driver of value and innovation in the energy market, giving households and businesses the best deals. Together with Ofgem, the Government is considering what reforms are needed to improve competition and resilience in the energy retail market. In considering these reforms, the Government will take account of the lessons learned from the current market. The Government is also working with the energy industry to put it on a more stable footing in the longer-term. This includes continuing to build a robust domestic renewable energy sector so that Government is less exposed to global volatility in natural gas supply and demand.

Cabinet Office

Scientists: Migrant Workers

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to publicise the Global Talent Visa programme to potential applicants, particularly to scientists; and how they plan to measure their progress towards securing the UK’s status as a Science and Tech Superpower by 2030, as promised in Global Britain in a competitive age: The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, published on 16 March.

Lord True: The Office for Talent, with other government departments, is developing the GREAT campaign to attract those working in science and technology and inspire them to live and work in the United Kingdom. This will include highlighting the Global Talent visa route. The Home Office works hard to ensure the UK’s immigration rules are clear and accessible and our visa system is easy to navigate for those who want to come to the UK. The Prime Minister has put his science and technology superpower ambitions at the heart of government business by setting up the new National Science & Technology Council (NSTC). The new Office for Science & Technology Strategy in the Cabinet Office will inform and deliver the NSTC’s vision - this includes monitoring the impact of its decisions on the UK’s status as a science and technology superpower. The Government Office for Science’s Technology and Science Insights team will provide independent and objective analysis to support this work.

Department for Education

Free School Meals: Migrants

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Benyon on 17 November (HL Deb, col 282), what plans they have to make arrangements for the long-term provision of free school meals to children in families with no recourse to public funds; and when they intend to publish any such plans.

Baroness Barran: The department has temporarily extended free school meal eligibility to include some children of groups who have no recourse to public funds in light of the current unique circumstances many families face at this time.We are currently working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds.

Free School Meals: Migrants

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what review they are undertaking, if any, into the long-term provision of free school meals to children in families with no recourse to public funds; and when the outcome of any such review will be announced.

Baroness Barran: We are working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility will continue with the current income threshold until a decision on long-term eligibility is made.Once the review is complete, we will update our guidance accordingly. Our current guidance regarding the extension can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/guidance-for-the-temporary-extension-of-free-school-meals-eligibility-to-nrpf-groups.

Children: Day Care

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the 30 hours funded childcare policy.

Baroness Barran: 30 hours free childcare is available to working parents of 3 and 4 year olds, helping them with the cost of childcare and supporting parents back into work, or to work more hours if they wish to. To be eligible, parents have to earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at national minimum/living wage (for parents aged over 23, this is equivalent to just over £7,400 per year), and under £100,000 per year. The government currently has no plans to extend this scheme.In addition to the 30 hours free childcare scheme, all 3 and 4 year olds, as well as some disadvantaged 2 year olds, in England are eligible for 15 hours free childcare. This provides them with high-quality early education and helping prepare them for school.The government also offers Tax-Free Childcare, which contributes 20% towards childcare costs, and can save eligible working parents up to £2,000 for children aged 0-11, or up to £4,000 for disabled children aged 0-16.For working parents on a low income, Universal Credit can reimburse up to 85% of childcare costs, up to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for 2 or more children.

Children: Social Services

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many vulnerable children are in (1) council, or (2) social care, facilities in England.

Baroness Barran: The department collects data on the number of children looked after in local authority care in England. Local authorities have a legal duty to provide appropriate accommodation for all children that are looked after. This data is collected on the annual SSD903 'children looked after by local authorities in England' statistical return, and the latest figures relate to the collection year ending 31 March 2021.These figures on the number of children looked after by their placement type were published on the 18 November 2021 in Table A5 of the annual statistical release at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions. This is the first release of data covering the time period of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities have been informally excluded in the last academic year.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the National Autistic SocietySchool Report 2021, published on 9 November; in particular, the findings about informal exclusions; and whatsteps they intend to take in response to ensure that schools do not practice such exclusions.

Baroness Barran: The department does not hold figures on the number of pupils who have been informally excluded from school. Informal exclusions are unlawful and therefore there is no mechanism for recording them.The government is considering the National Autistic Society School Report 2021, which provides helpful insights into this practice. Further information on this report can be found at: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/news/school-report-2021?dm_i=YA3,7MFOP,63DHOU,V1NPQ,1&mc_cid=cd260af2f9&mc_eid=b460e5a1f.The department makes clear in the ‘Statutory Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions’ guidance that ‘informal’ or ‘unofficial’ suspensions, such as sending pupils home ‘to cool off’, are unlawful, regardless of whether they occur with the agreement of parents or carers. Any suspension of a pupil, even for short periods of time, must be in line with the relevant legislation and be recorded as a suspension.The department will shortly be consulting on the ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance and the ‘Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions’ guidance. These will equip headteachers to create calm, orderly, safe and supportive school environments where exclusions are only ever used lawfully and as a last resort.

Apprentices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require employers to spend two-thirds of the funding for apprenticeships on under-25 year olds starting their careers.

Baroness Barran: It is a central principle of the apprenticeship programme that people can access apprenticeships throughout their lifetimes to help them upskill and re-train, as well as start out in their careers. Employers take the decisions about who they recruit as an apprentice, and which type and level of apprenticeship they offer.To set an employer a requirement to spend two-thirds of funding for apprenticeships on those aged under 25 would restrict employers’ recruitment choice and reduce opportunities for older employees to retrain or progress.We recognise the value of apprenticeships in helping young people starting out in their careers, and we are delivering a range of measures to support them and employers. To promote apprenticeships to students and parents our Apprentice Support and Knowledge is working with 56 schools to raise awareness and demonstrate the range of opportunities. We are also creating clearer progression routes for young people completing T Levels and traineeships so that more can move into an apprenticeship, with their training being accelerated to reflect their prior learning and qualifications.To encourage employers to offer more apprenticeship opportunities to young people we offer them, and training providers, an additional £1,000 so they can deliver effective support to each 16-18 year old apprentice they take on. We also make it more attractive for the smallest employers across the country to employ an apprentice by paying 100% of their training and assessment costs. Alongside this we are encouraging all employers to create new apprenticeship opportunities through the £3,000 employer incentive for hiring any new apprentices. This incentive payment has been extended until the end of January 2022, and has so far supported over 127,000 apprentice starts, of which 77% were aged 16 to 24.

Universities

Lord Framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) universities, (2) university students, and (3) vice-chancellors or their equivalents, there were in (a) 1991, and (b) 2020.

Lord Framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total aggregate remuneration of vice-chancellors or their equivalents in (1) 1991, and (2) 2020.

Baroness Barran: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students and staff at higher education (HE) providers in the UK. Latest statistics refer to the academic year 2019/20.Data on the number of student enrolments at HE providers in the academic year 2019/20 are available in Table 1 of HESA’s HE Student Data pages: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-1. This includes students registered at universities, university colleges and specialised HE providers but excludes those registered at further education (FE) colleges. 107 providers held full University status in England as of November 2021 and 1,836,205 students at undergraduate and postgraduate level were registered with them in the academic year 2019/20. Each had one head of provider (Vice-Chancellor or equivalent).Equivalent statistics for the academic year 1991/92 were compiled by the Universities Central Council on Admissions. Volume 1 of the 1991/92 students and staff publication from the Universities’ Statistical Record [1] shows that there were 346,587 undergraduate and postgraduate students registered at 34 universities in the academic year 1991/92. This count excludes students registered at FE colleges and former polytechnics.Data on the total renumeration of each head of provider in the academic year 2019/20 are available in Table 11 of HESA’s HE Finance Data pages: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/finances/table-11. In 2019/20, the total renumeration (before salary sacrifice) of the heads of 105[2] providers that held University Title in England as of November 2021 was £30,243,000. Data for the academic year 1991/92 is not available.[1] The USR publication is not readily available online but is available to users registered with the UK Data Service: https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/.[2] Excluding University of Buckingham and Regent’s University London, which are not available.

Ministry of Justice

Youth Custody: Ethnic Groups

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what proportion, of incidents of the use of force in the children’s custodial estate were recorded in each of the last 10 years by the child’s ethnicity.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: Data on the use of force on children in the youth custodial estate is included in the aggregated annually published “Youth Justice Statistics” report which form part of the Youth justice statistics series. Table 8.6 in the supplementary tables of the 2019 to 2020 edition, published this January, gives data on Incidents of Restrictive Physical Intervention (RPI) sorted by ethnicity age and gender for years ending March between 2015 and 2020. The same table in the 2017 to 2018 edition covers the period from 2012 to 2018. The 2020 to 2021 edition is due to be published on 27 January 2022 and will include data for the year ending March 2021.Table (xlsx, 20.9KB)

Prisoners: Racial Discrimination

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what proportion, of prisoners’ complaints about (a) racism, or (b) racial discrimination, were upheld in each of the last 10 years by ethnicity.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: All prisons are required to comply with the Prisoner complaints policy framework. This framework sets out requirements and information on providing a fair and effective system for dealing with prisoner complaints, including by ensuring procedural justice and taking a problem-solving approach for both adult prisoners and young people. Separate to the Complaints procedure, a prisoner can submit a Discrimination Incident Reporting Form (DIRF) if they feel they have been discriminated against any of the protected characteristics, as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The DIRF process has been renewed to be launched in early 2022. As part of the updated process, and following a pilot in 2021, data will be collated regionally and nationally. Until then, to confirm the number of racial complaints made by prisoners and which were upheld, a search of each prison’s complaints log would be required. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Libya: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of disagreements between Libya’s political factions over the legal framework adopted by the House of Representatives to allow for presidential and parliamentary elections to take place on 24 December, what assessment they have made of (1) the current political situation in Libya, and (2) the impact the recent resignation of the UN Special Envoy for Libya on international efforts to support the electoral process in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Free, fair and inclusive Parliamentary and Presidential elections on 24 December 2021, including women and youth's full, equal and meaningful participation, is one of the top priorities for the UK in Libya. They are captured in UK-drafted UN Security Council Resolution 2570, and in the communiqués agreed by the Berlin II Conference on 24 June and Paris Conference on 12 November. The UK is committed to supporting the UN facilitated, Libyan-led and owned political process. The UK is working with international and Libyan partners - including UN Special Envoy Ján Kubiš, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, and the United Nations Secretary General - to pursue these priorities, restoring Libya's sovereignty and putting the country on a path to sustained peace, security and prosperity.

Afghanistan: Humanitarian Situation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan through the UN, Non-Governmental Organisations and the Red Cross on the ground, who are continuing to ensure vital aid reaches those who need it most. Between April and November, we disbursed over £70 million for life-saving humanitarian support, including for emergency food, health, nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation, and mine action. We are doubling our humanitarian and development assistance for Afghanistan this year, taking this up to £286 million. On 31 October the Prime Minister announced the allocation of £50 million of UK aid to trusted partners to provide emergency humanitarian aid within Afghanistan and minimise the humanitarian catastrophe over the winter months. We are developing firm plans for the allocation of the remainder of the £286 million and will make further announcements in due course.

Myanmar: Sanctions

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL13390), what further steps they will take to ensure the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar are respected.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their call for democracy. To this end the UK is working to ensure a strong and coordinated international response. As well as sanctions, the UK has secured strong statements through the G7 and UN Security Council. Most recently we secured a UN Security Council Press Statement on 10 November urging the military to end violence, protect civilians and ensure full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. We worked to secure G7 Statements and a UN General Assembly Resolution on preventing the flow of arms to Myanmar and continue to work with partners to put pressure on those selling arms to the military. We are engaging with pro-democracy voices, including the NUG who the Minister for Asia met on 4 November. We are bolstering support to human rights monitoring and evidence gathering, including providing £500,000 to the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, to ensure that there is a spotlight on human rights violations by the military. The UK has provided humanitarian assistance to over 500,000 people since the coup. Our humanitarian assistance includes water and sanitation, nutrition and lifesaving food. Our work on livelihoods, financial inclusion and food security continues to focus on reaching the most vulnerable and in the first half of 2021 has reached over 3 million households. The UK is supporting diverse civil society and pro-democracy voices, including women's rights organisations, LGBT+ groups and youth, to enable them to contribute to peacebuilding and to build a common vision for the future. We will continue to work closely with partners, particularly in ASEAN, to seek a resolution to the crisis in Myanmar.

Bangladesh: Political Prisoners

Lord Hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Bangladesh about the release of political prisoners, particularly the former Prime Minister of that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I [Lord Ahmad] visited Bangladesh from 15 November to 17 November and met with the Government of Bangladesh, civil society actors and other key figures. During the visit I reiterated the UK's commitment to supporting human rights and democratic values.We will continue to stress to the Government of Bangladesh, both in public and in private, the importance of respect for human rights and the rule of law. We expect those in detention, including Khaleda Zia, to be treated in accordance with Bangladesh's international commitments on human rights. We regularly engage with the Government of Bangladesh on the treatment of those in detention and on the integrity and independence of the judicial process.

Iran: Nuclear Power

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel in advance of new talks, announced for 29 November, between the UK, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran, on reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including the prospect of the possible return of the United States to the JCPOA.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We continue to have regular discussions with a range of regional and international partners, including Israel, on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and Iran's nuclear escalation. We are clear that our priority is to see the US return to the deal, and Iran return to compliance with its commitments.Most recently, on 29 November the Foreign Secretary hosted Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, to formalise a new plan for the UK - Israel bilateral relationship over the next decade. Iran was discussed, with the Foreign Secretary updating on the UK's efforts to restore the JCPOA through talks that restarted in Vienna on 29 November.

Nigeria: Churches

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of warnings by bandits to Nigerians to close their churches or risk attacks; whether they have raised this with the government of Nigeria; and if so, what response they received.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government is concerned by increasing insecurity in Nigeria, including recent reports of criminal groups warning churches to close. The Government condemns all attacks on places of worship. We regularly raise rising insecurity and the importance of protecting civilians of all ethnicities and religions with both the Federal Government and State Governments in Nigeria. The British High Commission in Abuja has recently discussed these issues with the State Governors of Benue, Katsina, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara State. On 1 November, the Minister for Africa raised insecurity in Nigeria with Foreign Minister Onyeama in a bilateral meeting at the COP26 summit in Glasgow. The Prime Minister also discussed insecurity with President Buhari in the margins of the Global Education Summit in July.We continue to support inter-faith peacebuilding organisations to promote social cohesion and identify solutions to escalating violence across multiple states in Nigeria. The underlying drivers of violence are complex and frequently relate to competition over resources and economically-motivated criminality. We will continue to urge and support the Nigerian Government to take action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence.

Burundi: Refugees

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the announcement made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on 27 October that 60,000 refugees are voluntarily returning home to Burundi this year, what steps they will take to support (1) the UN, and (2) the refugees' return, and (3) integration in that country.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government welcomes the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in conjunction with governments in the neighbouring region, to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees to Burundi. Working with its development partners, the Government of Burundi launched the 2021 Joint Refugee Return and Reintegration Plan, which aims to support the safe and dignified return home of some 143,000 Burundian refugees in the sub-region and beyond, and to promote their sustainable reintegration. We continue to urge the Government of Burundi to ensure that the needs and rights of refugees, other displaced people and host communities are recognized and factored in to socio-economic planning, as this is vital for underpinning sustainable returns and reintegration. The UK Government is supporting these efforts, including through funding to the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration, and bilaterally for the reintegration and other humanitarian initiatives to support the refugee population. The UK has provided a total of £17 million of humanitarian support to Burundi between July 2017 and November 2021.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fly-tipping

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the maximum penalty for fly tipping; and when this figure last was reviewed.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The maximum penalty for fly-tipping is 12 months’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine if convicted at a Magistrates’ Court, or five years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine if convicted at Crown Court. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 was amended in 2015 to remove maximum limits on fines for fly-tipping.

Fishing Catches: France

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in resolving the dispute over licences for French fishermen operating in UK waters.

Lord Benyon: The Government has continued to work at pace with the European Commission as well as with the French authorities, with regular meetings held to make progress on licensing issues. 735 French vessels have been licenced to fish in UK waters since 31 December 2020, with 104 licences of those vessels also licensed to fish in the UK’s 6-12nm zone.

Veterinary Medicine: Farms

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the present number of farm veterinary job vacancies; and what steps they plan to take (1) to increase the number of farm vets, and (2) to encourage a new generation to enter the profession.

Lord Benyon: The Department is aware of challenges for veterinary businesses recruiting across all sectors of the profession, including farm animal vets. We have not specifically estimated the number of vacancies in the farm veterinary sector. The opening of new veterinary schools in the UK means that the numbers of veterinarians being trained here continues to grow. We are working with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the British Veterinary Association and other stakeholders to support their work to encourage recruitment and retention in the profession. We are giving careful consideration to the RCVS’s proposals, which aim to increase opportunities for veterinary nurses and other allied professionals as part of a vet-led team, creating a more robust and flexible workforce, and to foster a professional environment that is inclusive and attractive to those wishing to pursue a veterinary career.

Home Office

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to withdraw the responsibility for the Windrush Compensation Scheme from the Home Office and give the responsibility to an independent body.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Moving the operation of the Scheme from the Home Office would risk significantly delaying payments to people.Since the changes we made to the Scheme in December, the amount of compensation paid has risen from less than £3 million to over £31.6 million, with a further £5.6 million having been offered, and there is no cap on the amount of compensation we will pay out.The compensation scheme continues to be subject to robust internal scrutiny and regular scrutiny from external stakeholders.

Asylum: Children

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children are currently waiting for a decision on their asylum application and have waited for over six months.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release, which can be found on go.uk. Data on the number of people awaiting a decision on an asylum application are published in table ASY_D03 of the 'asylum and resettlement detailed datasets', which can be found attached. Age breakdowns are not available in the published data. Annex - Asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (xlsx, 1113.5KB)

British Nationality: British Indian Ocean Territory

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to allow descendants of the natives of the Chagos Archipelago to have the right to register as full British citizens.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Nationality and Borders Bill will introduce measures which will allow children of British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) mothers, who were born before 1983; and the children of BOTC unmarried fathers who were born before 2006, to register as BOTCs.Children of Chagossian mothers who left the Chagos Islands before 1969 would also be able to benefit from this change.These changes to British nationality law will also allow these groups to acquire British citizenship more easily.

Domestic Abuse

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner Safety before Status, published on 20 October.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As per section 16 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the Government has 56 days beginning with the day on which the report is published to respond to recommendations by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner. The Government is carefully considering the recommendations in the ‘Safety Before Status’ report and will publish a response in due course.

Asylum

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office on 16 April (175879), whether they now intend to publish the internal review looking into the assessment of asylum claims on the grounds of (1) religion, and (2) sexuality.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The UK has a proud record of providing protection to individuals fleeing persecution based on their religious beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity and are committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution.The review into the way asylum claims on the basis of religious and LGBT+ grounds are assessed has been completed. The Home Office do not have any plans to publish the findings of this internal review.

Unexplained Wealth Orders

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Unexplained Wealth Orders were issued each year under the Criminal Finances Act 2017; and in each case, (1) what was the value of the wealth, (2) what subsequent prosecutions took place, and (3) what were the outcomes of any such prosecutions.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) and accompanying interim freezing orders have been used in four investigations to date. Two of those investigations have concluded, two are ongoing. On 8 April 2020 the High Court discharged UWOs sought in a single investigation, permission to appeal was refused. On 2 October 2020, the High Court approved a settlement for the recovery of property with a combined value of £9,802,828, subsequent to a UWO investigation. Prosecutions do not succeed UWO application, which are a civil process. Enforcement authorities with the powers to seek UWOs are operationally independent.

Asylum: Children

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether issuing priority removal notices and evidence notices to those under the age of 18 at the time of their arrival in the UK is compliant with (1) the UN Convention of theRights of the Child, (2) the Children Act 1989, and (3) the Children Act 2004.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As part of our obligations under the public sector equality duty, an equality impact assessment has been completed in respect of the measures in the Nationality and Borders Bill concerning priority removal notices and evidence notices, this includes a consideration of possible impacts on children.

Immigration

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations, if any, they are having with religious groups about potential legislation on immigration.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government’s New Plan for Immigration is delivering the most comprehensive reform of the asylum system in decades. An essential element of the Plan is the Nationality and Borders Bill.A public consultation on the Plan was held earlier this year, with a wide variety of stakeholders from different sections of our society taking part. The Government published its response to the consultation in July, and this can be found on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-plan-for-immigration.The Government regularly engages with individuals and groups with an interest in migration, including religious groups, as we take forward the Bill and deliver the New Plan for Immigration.

Immigration Controls: Biometrics

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce delays following the introduction of biometric border checks in May 2022 on (1) passengers in vehicles using ports, and (2) the Eurotunnel, to travel to the EU.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office work closely across government and with our international partners, especially at the juxtaposed controls we operate together with France, to reduce delays for people traveling to or from the UK and to ensure Border Security is maintained. Decisions on the requirements to enter the EU’s Schengen Zone are for our international partners to make, rather than the UK Government.

Contact Tracing: Travel Requirements

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to update, and (2) to simplify, the (a) design, and (b) requirements, of the passenger locator forms required for international travellers arriving in England.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Passenger Locator Form has constantly evolved since its introduction in June 2020 to align with the requirements of the policies on international travel health requirements implemented by the Government and the Devolved Administrations.It forms a vital part of the UKs pandemic response, helping to ensure safe and secure international travel and enabling health departments across the four nations to have robust trace and compliance assurance processes.The Home Office, working in collaboration with departments across Whitehall and the Devolved Administrations, are in the process of reviewing the content of the form to simplify and improve usability of the system.Further updates will be released on a continuing rolling basis as they are developed, streamlining the system, and adding new capabilities as international travel volumes continue to increase.

Northern Ireland Office

Constitutions: Northern Ireland

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote Northern Ireland's constitutional position within the UK.

Lord Caine: The Government is resolutely committed to the Union and will take every opportunity to promote Northern Ireland’s integral place within it as we have said many times, while always upholding the consent principle we will never be neutral on Northern Ireland's position within our United Kingdom.During this centenary year for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, the Government has proudly celebrated the contribution of Northern Ireland’s people, culture, traditions and enterprise to our Union and the world.The record settlement for Northern Ireland in the Spending Review demonstrated the clear benefits of the Union, with £15 billion per year in funding alongside investment through the New Deal, City and Growth Deals and the New Decade, New Approach financial package.Together, this investment will deliver greater prosperity and stronger public services for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland. All of this underlines the enormous benefit Northern Ireland gains from being part of the fifth largest economy in the world.The Government will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the benefits of levelling up are felt across the United Kingdom, and to make Northern Ireland an even better place to live, work and invest within it.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Children

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to stop children aged 11 to 16 from becoming gambling addicts.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: All gambling operators providing facilities to British customers must comply with the conditions of their Gambling Commission licences, including measures to protect children and vulnerable people. It is an offence to allow children to participate in most forms of commercial gambling and there are strict requirements to verify age. All operators advertising in the UK must also abide by the advertising codes issued by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) in which a wide range of provisions are designed to protect children. CAP has consulted on tightening these rules further.As part of the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum in England, young people are taught about the risks relating to gambling, including the accumulation of debt. To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence, the Department for Education has also developed a series of training modules, one of which has a specific section on gambling. Other curriculum subjects, such as citizenship, mathematics and computing, can also help develop young people’s financial literacy and highlight the risks associated with gambling.As part of its broad scope, the Gambling Act Review is looking at the effectiveness of existing measures to ensure the protection of young and vulnerable people from the risks associated with all types of gambling. We are considering the evidence carefully and will publish a white paper outlining conclusions and next steps in due course.

Television Licences: Older People

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they are taking to overturn the BBC removal of free TV licences for those over 75 years old.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government remains deeply disappointed with the BBC's decision to restrict the licence fee concession for people over the age of 75 to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for people over the age of 75 and believe they should be funded by the BBC.The Digital Economy Act 2017 provides that the future of the concession is the responsibility of the BBC, not of the Government. This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Act through Parliament. The BBC must ensure that it supports those affected by its decision, and it must look at how it uses its substantial licence fee income to support older people.

Destination Management Organisations: Reviews

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Nick de BoisThe de Bois Review: an independent review of Destination Management Organisations in England, published on 14 September; and what steps they intend to take to implement its recommendations.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Destination Management Organisations have provided vital business support to local tourism organisations during this crisis, and will play a key role in helping our tourism industry recover.We have long been aware of the arguments in favour of carrying out an independent review of how tourism is structured, organised and funded at a local level in England.We welcome the report’s publication, and thank Nick de Bois for his work. We will now take time to consider its recommendations and respond to them.The Spending Review confirmed the DCMS settlement and the Department is currently deciding how to allocate it. The Government encourages DMOs to share information with VisitEngland and DCMS.

COP26

Climate Change Convention: Egypt

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with (1) other European states, and (2) the government of Egypt, to ensure that delegates to the COP27 climate change conference are able to travel to Egypt by low-carbon routes such as (a) rail, and (b) ferry.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Egypt, as COP27 Presidency, will put in place logistics arrangements for the COP27 conference in Sharm el Sheikh. However, as the current COP Presidency, we will work closely with Egypt over the coming year and will share our experience of organising a carbon-neutral COP, including transport planning.In addition, we will work closely with all Parties, including European ones, throughout the UK’s COP Presidency and, where appropriate, we will work with international partners to help to ensure that access for delegates to COP27 is through low or zero carbon travel.